Kids want to bring chicks to school....

[reallynewatthis]

Of course, they want to show off their new pets! I'm thinking about it. Their brooder is a rabbit cage, so I could just transport all the chicks in the cage and bring them into the classrooms so the kids could see them. I'm not going to let the kids hold them, but I'm wondering if I could hold one chick at a time to let the kids pet them (gently!)...I don't know. The health of the chicks is definitely the priority here. They are almost three weeks old. I can certainly wait until they are older. They'll have lost their fuzzy cuteness, but I can deal with that.

Any thoughts/suggestions? My boys are in second grade and kindergarten, respectively, and are both responsible. Each class has 16 children in it.

Katy

 

[TXmom]

My daughter wanted to take our new chicks to school too, but it was against school rules. Apparently, they can't take chickens or chicks, but they can hatch them in science class. So my daughter took 10 eggs (and so did several class mates who also have chickens), and at least 5 chicks have hatched yesterday and today from our eggs.

The teacher made a brooder in the classroom so they've been moved to the brooder while the rest of the eggs are still hatching. I guess she's not real strict about "Lockdown".

So...check with the school about their "chick" rules...and if you are allowed to bring them in, I think it's a good idea as long as the kids can be reasonably well-behaved. Don't let the kids crowd around because there could be some pushing or shoving or tripping and a chick could get hurt.

 

[DaughterOfEve]

if you do this do not leave them unattended. have kids wash hands before and after petting. Also depending on temps are they old enough to be away from a heat source for the trip?

 

[reallynewatthis]

Well, one of the teachers really wants me to bring them in, so I'm guessing the chicks wouldn't be against school rules. Actually, the class is doing a whole unit on animal habitats, so she wants me to talk about what chickens need for their habitat, which is cool.

I'd already planned on having the kids wash their hands both before and after touching the chicks. The school is really good about hand-washing, so the kids are accustomed to washing their hands frequently.

As for being old enough to stay warm...I was thinking if I turn the heat up in my car, they'll be okay. I'm not going to do it this week, because the weather has been so cold (high of 49 today!), and I'd like them to be a little older. By the middle of next week, they'll be almost four weeks old and a little hardier, plus the weather will be warmer.

Thanks for your help!

Katy

 

[Sammimom]

We did last year, I brought our three chicks into my daughter's 3/4th grade class. They all passed the chicks around and washed after. Very cute! Another friend brought her chicks to my son's 1/2 grade class. Chickens have caught on around here! The children sat in a circle, cross legged on the floor, and I warned them not to drop them, and that if they pooped so what, it is easily washed off. Then we passed all three around. It was very fun to share them. This year my daughter is bringing her favorite hen, our Buff Orpington, for her "visual aid" during her science inquiry. She is doing "how do chicks develop in the egg" so dragging in a full grown hen is rather a stretch, but it will be fun nevertheless.